


Jeri's Angels

by Sholio



Category: The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other characters mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 12:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22710886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/pseuds/Sholio
Summary: "Oh, come on,again?" were the first words out of Claire's mouth when Jessica limped into her apartment at three in the morning, half-carrying and half-dragging a singed and bleeding Madani.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	Jeri's Angels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [toucanpie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/toucanpie/gifts).



> You had the best prompt about the Defenders-verse ladies all working together! I hope this suits. :)

"Oh, come on, _again_?" were the first words out of Claire's mouth when Jessica limped into her apartment at three in the morning, half-carrying and half-dragging a singed and bleeding Madani. "Who is this, anyway? Made a new friend?"

"She's not a friend," Jessica muttered, and deposited Madani on the couch.

"An enemy?" Claire wanted to know, but she was already getting out her large and well-stocked first-aid kit. "I just want to know how alarmed I should be. You have to admit it's a sensible question."

"Dinah Madani," said Madani, from the couch. Jessica went into the kitchen to wash the blood off her hands. "I'm working with her. For the moment."

Jessica could almost feel Claire's stare boring into her back. "Oh, I see," Claire said, and Jessica looked around to see her briskly pulling on rubber gloves. "Another one of --"

"Do _not_ say it --"

"Jeri's angels," Claire finished, kneeling in front of Madani. "Take off your shirt. Where's the worst of it?"

"I told you I'd punch you into next week if you don't stop calling us that." Jessica leaned on the edge of the sink and drank a glass of water to try to wash the smoke taste out of her mouth.

"Don't go anywhere," Claire said absently, as she began to pry shrapnel out of Madani's side. "I can see you're barely standing up, no matter what you say."

"I'm fine," Jessica retorted, and then ruined the effect by coughing.

"Some kind of explosion, right?" Claire asked, and Madani nodded. It was about all she had energy for. "Did she get caught in it too?" Another nod.

"Traitor," Jessica murmured. She planned to march into Jeri's firm first thing in the morning and tear a strip off Jeri for a) sending her out with someone she not only had no idea Jeri had also hired, but had never even met before, and b) seriously underestimating the level of danger on this particular job.

"You could have internal injuries. Sit _down._ Don't make me call Misty to come over here and drag your protesting ass back to my apartment before your lungs fill up with fluids and you die."

Jessica considered jumping out the window. The fire escape was _right there._ Then her broken ribs ground together with another cough, and she refilled the glass of water and sat sullenly on the chair not currently occupied with a bleeding Madani.

*

It was Claire who had originally coined the "Jeri's Angels" joke. Jessica would never forgive her.

She wasn't even sure why she was working with these bozos anyway.

It was just ... _Hogarth._ Damn it. Blame Jeri Hogarth. For all the woman's flaws and all the things Jessica didn't like about her, which was nearly everything, Jeri had a keen eye for talent and an equally keen willingness to pay them what they were worth. And as her fledgling law firm spread its wings and began to prosper and add partners, she'd collected a stable of investigators who even Jessica would admit were damn good at what they did.

It started with Jessica. And then Misty quit the force and went into partnership with Colleen, and Jeri pulled them in too. She even had Karen Page on her string, not precisely lured away from Nelson and Murdock, but willing to split her time between them because Jeri, at least, didn't pay in chickens.

Madani was the latest one, lured in from God knows where to do God knows what. That woman could give a clam lessons in keeping its mouth shut. Jessica had first met her two days ago when she walked into Jeri's office and found her there already, a small straight-backed woman looking at her with hard eyes and a measuring expression. Jessica knew immediately that this was going to be one of _those fucking jobs._

She was right. But Madani was useful to have around. Jessica didn't know much about her so far, though she had caught on that Madani was some kind of former and perhaps current spook -- exact agency unknown (though Jessica could venture a couple of guesses). She could handle herself in the field. But she wasn't bulletproof and she had no idea that Jessica was ... okay, not bulletproof, but definitely capable of taking more than the usual amount of damage. 

Which had led to Madani covering her in a firefight and warehouse explosion, and taking the brunt of it. Of course then they'd been blown into a wall, so nobody came out well, all things considered.

What a miserable fucking week.

"Okay, your turn," Claire said, and Jessica stirred and reluctantly allowed herself to be prodded and probed. Madani had taken a heavy-duty painkiller and was stretched out on the couch. 

"Looks like you're going to live," Claire said after a few uncomfortable moments of poking, and Jessica rolled her eyes. Stripping off her gloves, Claire went on, "How much danger are you in? Not the injuries. I mean whoever did this. Do I need to call the others?"

Jessica shook her head wordlessly. The warehouse guys weren't going to be a problem for a while. And, well ...

When had there started being _others_ , anyway? And yet, it was true. She saw Misty and Colleen a couple times a week for drinks (and general bitching about working for Jeri); Karen stopped by their favorite drinking hole when her schedule allowed, and Claire was already tight with Colleen and Misty. 

If Jessica needed them, she knew they'd drop whatever they were doing to help. Hell, Claire had proved it tonight.

And now they had another one. Jessica's narrow-eyed gaze went to Madani on the couch. It wasn't just that Jeri hired good investigators. The woman collected _strays._ Jessica had absolutely no illusions that Jeri was doing it on purpose, and yet ... here they were.

There were going to be team game nights eventually. Jessica could _feel it._

And she realized Claire had asked her another question. "What's that?" 

Claire frowned. "I said, do you want to spend the night? She's going to, because no way in hell am I sending her home in that condition, and I could use someone out here in the living room to keep an eye on her and let me know if her breathing worsens or she has a seizure."

"Oh sure, why not," Jessica said carelessly. She didn't love the idea of dragging herself across half of Manhattan tonight anyway. 

"You know where the linen closet is," Claire remarked, stuffing medical debris into a plastic bag.

Oh God, she _did._ She'd crashed on Claire's couch enough that she knew how to make it up for a bed. Madani had the couch right now -- deep asleep, breathing in quick soft puffs -- but Jessica laid a blanket on the floor and draped another one over Madani.

Claire handed her a pair of aspirin and another glass of water, and stared at her until she took them. "There are leftovers in the fridge. Help yourself if you're hungry." She dropped the medical case behind the couch. "I am going to bed. I suggest you do too. Good night."

"Yeah, night, _whatever."_ And even as the words left her mouth, she realized she was being an ungrateful ass about Claire dragging herself out of bed at zero-fuck-thirty to deal with Jessica's emergency. Again. "Hey, thanks," she called after Claire. "Really. Thanks."

Claire waved sleepily, then leaned back to say, "Hey, you got my jerk of a landlord off my back about that overnight guest covenant. I owe you."

Oh right. She had done that. It was funny how much more cooperative people got when you leaned on them a little bit, and oh by the way dug up unpaid parking tickets from ten years ago. 

So maybe things came around after all.

As she stretched out in a pile of Claire's blankets and pillows, Jessica felt her phone vibrate against her leg. Huh. Thing was still working. Malcolm was right, it was worth investing in a good quality phone despite her general tendency to get them crushed, soaked, or otherwise broken.

She thought about ignoring it, but then it vibrated again. Jessica took it out with the full intention of just turning it off, but she noticed the texts were from Karen. Because _of course_ Page was up at this hour.

_Was that warehouse explosion you? It was, wasn't it?_  
_Are you okay?_

.... and of course Karen Page was adequately plugged into the system so that she knew about it before most of the media outlets and even the cops did. Of _course._

Jessica's finger hovered over the button to turn off the phone. Then she sighed and typed, _I'm all right. I'm at Claire's._

_Hurt?_

She shouldn't have mentioned Claire. Mistake. _No,_ she typed, even as her ribs ground together as she tried to get comfortable.

_Breakfast? Tell me about it?_

You could take the girl out of the newspaper business, but not the other way around. _Gotta debrief with Hogarth first._

Karen sent back a "yuck" face. Jessica firmly pressed her lips into a line -- she was _not_ smiling. She turned off the phone without answering, rolled over and wrapped the blanket around herself.

Madani coughed in her sleep. Jessica sat up (painfully) to make sure the cough didn't turn into -- god, she didn't even _know,_ she should've gotten better instructions from Claire. But Madani seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so Jessica settled in her blanket pile again.

She was probably going to end up dragging Madani along to breakfast with Page, wasn't she.

They'd picked up another one for the drink-and-bitch sessions, she could just _feel_ it.

Fucking Hogarth.


End file.
